Chicken Soup and Romcom Musicals
by ExperimentalHeart
Summary: Terezi is sick and Karkat invites her over to his hive. Due to his comforting nature and scruffy warmth, she asks to watch a romcom with him. But what will happen when Terezi discovers the joy of musicals? Ridiculously mushy. Rated T for Karkat's swearing, because, c'mon, it's Karkat.


-carcinoGeneticist began trolling gallowsCalibrator-

CG: HEY TEREZI.

CG: HEY.

CG: FUCKASS.

CG: ARE YOU IGNORING ME? CAUSE YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED TO DO THAT.

CG: NOT COOL. NOT COOL AT ALL.

GC: J3GUS K4RK4T C4LM DOWN. 1M S1CK OK4Y? 1 W4S G3TT1NG SOM3 M3D1C1N3

CG: YOU'RE SICK? WITH WHAT?

GC: 1 DONT KNOW 4LL 1 KNOW 1S TH4T 1M PR3TTY MUCH M1S3R4BL3

CG: OH...YOU WANNA COME OVER HERE?

GC: ...

GC: K4RK4T 1F 1 THOUGHT YOU H4D 4 BR41N B3FOR3 1 SUR3 DONT NOW

GC: 1 JUST TOLD YOU 1M S1CK 4ND YOU 1MM3D14T3LY 4SK 1F 1 W4NN4 COM3 OV3R

GC: 1 S33 4 D1ST1NCT L4CK OF LOG1C 1N TH4T

CG: YOU CAN'T SEE.

GC: SHUT UP YOU KNOW WH4T 1 M34N

CG: YEAH, I DO. I DIDN'T ASK TO BE INSENSITIVE, THOUGH.

GC: K4RK4T V4NT4S NOT B31NG 1NS3NS1T1V3? WH4T 4 NOV3L 1D34

CG: MOVING ON. I ASKED BECAUSE I COULD, YOU KNOW...TAKE CARE OF YOU AND STUFF.

GC: 4WW...4R3 YOU 4CTU4LLY B31NG SW33T?

CG: SHUT UP. YOU GONNA GET YOUR ASS OVER HERE OR NOT?

GC: SUR3 L3TS S33 WH4T TH3 LOV3LY DOCTOR V4NT4S C4N DO FOR M3

CG: YOU MEAN METAPHORICALLY, OF COURSE.

GC: CORK 1T.

-gallowsCalibrator has ceased trolling carcinoGeneticist-

Karkat almost immediately received an IM from Nepeta as soon as he minimized Terezi's Trollian window, naturally ignoring it. With a sigh, he stood up and walked out to the kitchen, trying to think what exactly he had for sick food. John had once told him that humans often used chicken soup for comfort during the common cold. Though the Cancer had never tried this himself, he figured it couldn't hurt. Feeling too sappy than could be healthy, he was making the soup when his doorbell rang.

He didn't bother to go to the door, as Terezi never bothered to wait and more often than not just walked right in. The sounds of her closing the door were nothing new. However, the loud crash and exclaimed obscenities were. He darted into his hallway, expecting to see havoc. Though this havoc was on a smaller scale, he wasn't far from the truth. Terezi was sprawled on the floor, looking dazed, head and back resting against the stairs. Karkat stopped in confusion.

"What the hell, Terezi?" he asked quizzically, blinking. "What'd you do?"

"I tripped over something." she grumbled, sounding stuffed up. "Don't ask me what." Karkat looked around her and saw the faint wobbling of a table from earlier contact. Terezi coughed. "Are you going to help me up or are you just gonna stand there? I can't see."

"No shit." Karkat replied, going to her side and carefully hauling her up by her arm. He hesitated and then dusted off her back, removing a piece of lint from her shirt. Terezi moaned in frustration.

"That's not what I meant, Karkles...I mean I can't sense _anything_!" she exclaimed. The troll had a normally husky voice; medium-feminine, which Karkat usually liked, but now it was clouded with both sickness and panic. Looking at her sideways, he heaved a sigh and patted her shoulder. Terezi frowned. "I feel helpless. I don't like it."

"No one does." Cautiously, he took her arm and led her to the living room, being sure to keep her steady. Karkat looked to the side at her, a bit concerned. He guided her to sit down on the couch, moving a cushion aside. "Okay, Terezi, there's a blanket to your left. You can lie down if you want. I'll be out here in a second."

She sniffed gently. "What's that? I can barely smell, but there's something. I just can't tell what it is." He sniffed the air as well before he realized what she was talking about.

"That's, uh...chicken soup." As pointless as the gesture was, Terezi looked in his direction with a surprised look on her face, soon giving a smirk.

"Aww, you _are_ being sweet. I knew you had a heart somewhere." Karkat blushed deeply.

"Shut up." Terezi held up her right hand, smirk widening.

"Wait. It's faint, but it's there. Karkles, are you blushing?" He quickly looked away, as if that would help.

"No. Your cold must have screwed up your system or something, I don't fucking know." She giggled quietly, her tone ruined somewhat by the cold. He would have typically teased her about her laugh, which made her sound like a little girl, but decided to hold off.

"You are." With no warning, she reached out and grabbed his wrist, pulling him towards her. Karkat knelt down on instinct to avoid falling on her, taken off guard. Terezi leaned forward and licked his cheek. The shorter troll's face burned with humiliation.

"What the hell are you doing, fuckass? S-stop that!" Terezi pulled back, looking pleased.

"Cherries." she stated, satisfied. "I knew it." Karkat wriggled out of her grip and stood up.

"Whatever. I'll get you your soup, and so help me Gog if you gloat while eating it." He walked into the kitchen, peering over the half-wall at the girl as he did so. Karkat went over to the store, pointedly ignoring the sing-song "Gloat, gloat, gloaaat!" that echoed after him.

He shook his head, resisting the urge to laugh. Terezi was a kick to have around, even while sick. As it was, he gave a small chuckle as he spooned the soup into a large red bowl. She was funny, and pretty, and smart, and-

Karkat set the ladle down with a clang, a pointed gesture to himself. His flushed feelings toward Terezi had no business in this. He didn't know if she even felt that way towards him, and with her there was no way to tell. Right now, he was just taking care of his good friend. His good friend who he just happened to think was the most amazing girl on all of Alternia.

He carried the bowl out to her. She was still sitting up and jolted when she heard him coming, shifting in his direction. Karkat stopped in front of her, plopping a spoon into the soup.

"Here you go." he told her gruffly, still a little embarrassed. "Dinner is served." Terezi held out her hands in a calculated fashion and he handed her the bowl, watching her carefully to ensure she didn't drop it. She nodded in his general direction.

"Thanks. Come sit with the ill, she's lonely." Surprised, Karkat sat down next to her, spreading the blanket over them. Terezi began eating her soup, seeming completely relaxed.

"Did you get some medicine?" Karkat asked softly. Terezi paused to nod again.

"Tasted like moldy oranges." Karkat chuckled.

"I'm not even gonna ask how you know what those taste like." Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a stray strand of hair dangling over her face. Slowly, he tucked it behind her ear, attempting casual. Her reaction was unexpected- if he wasn't mistaken, it looked like a tiny splotch of teal appeared on her cheeks. When he blinked, it had disappeared. _Must have just been my imagination._

Terezi sucked down her soup in under five minutes. The Cancer stared at her, not having anticipated this. "Want me to make you some more?" She shook her head.

"No, but thanks for going to all this trouble. You didn't have to." As she spoke, Karkat could see her trembling lightly. He frowned.

"Are you cold? Jegus, say something if you're uncomfortable, dumbass." He picked up the blanket from where it lay spread over their laps and wrapped it around her. Terezi burrowed into it.

"Thanks." In a random manuever, she nestled her head and torso on his lap, wrapping her arms around his waist. On some sick-affected level, she must have sensed his surprise. She looked up at him, a considerate gesture anyway. "I'm cold. Deal with it." Karkat flushed.

"Yeah, fine." He patted her head. She hummed to herself, sniffling.  
"Hey, Karkles?" She shifted in his arms as if to get up. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but can we watch one of your romcoms? Well, you watch, I listen." He was so shocked at this that he nearly stopped breathing.

"Ummm. Yeah, we can. Don't get up, I have one in there from earlier." Still shocked, he picked up the remote and turned on the set, enabling the romcom to start up. Terezi muttered something and he looked down at her. "What was that?"

"I said you're the same weirdo I've always known." she murmured. Now _that_ was the Terezi he knews. Karkat barked a laugh.

"Cork it and let your mind be filled with reams of gushy humor already." The screen entered the main menu and Karkat scrolled down to a suitable one. Terezi snuggled closer to him, murmuring wordlessly.

The movie started, settling in on a town drenched in rain. A petite woman walked along the sidewalk without an umbrella, hugging her trench coat to her. She looked up at the dreary sky, shielding her eyes. Then she began to sing.

Karkat kept a totally straight face, used to this. Terezi sat up slowly, staring in the direction of the TV set. "The fuck is this?" the troll girl asked. "Is she _singing_ or being tortured?" He snorted.

"This is kind of a musical. Calm down." They- he- watched the screen as the woman kept singing, belting out all of her worries to the sky. It was obvious that Terezi tried to keep from laughing, but she eventually burst into quiet snickers. Karkat glanced at her. "What?"

"I'm sorry, it's just so funny!" the blind girl giggled.

"It hasn't even gotten to the funny part yet."

"Still!" snickered Terezi. "You have to ask yourself, who seriously gets up in the morning and sings about their life?"

"Are you saying it couldn't happen?" Right away he knew he'd put something into effect. Terezi cleared her throat, standing up, beginning to croon along to the tune playing. Her cold made her voice scratchy, but her words were still legible.

"Iiii'm- Sick and worn to pieces, Gog, I hope my strength won't leave me~ What'll become of me if I fade to grey~" She spun around the room as Karkat stared in amused disbelief. "Poor Terezi, sad and sickly, no one in the world to fix her- but _that is to say_..." Terezi grinned. "The angriest man in the whole wide world makes her visit when she's about to hurl! Oh, what'll become, what'll become of meee?" She took a breath, still grinning.

"Terezi, shut up." Karkat told her during the brief pause in piano music, Laughing, the Libra shook her head.

"So it's _found inside _he's a sweet little grump, barely five feet tall and fucked up as can be; but I guess that shouldn't be a big surprise, he hangs around with me!" She was apparently enjoying herself, even pretending to perform a fast waltz. "The two of us, why, we're quite a pair! I'm the-"

"Pyrope, cork it. You're murdering grubs with that voice of yours."

"-brains and he's the- whatever- " She flipped her hand dismissively, tossing her hair over her shoulder like a movie star. "But for some reason I...can't stay away..." Though she was making up the words herself, she stayed on the high note, trying to fight past the cold. Karkat's eyes widened. "Because...maybe, it's silly, but I can't help but _hope_ that for me, he's...here to _stay_." There was a break in the music again and she compensated with a round of inventive twirling. A little concerned that she was going to fall, Karkat stood up from the couch as the piano sped to quickened pace. He wasn't even paying attention to the romcom now, only watching Terezi. Why did she have to be so damn beautiful?

"Ooh, Mr. Vantas~ Ooh, Doctor Vantas~ Catch me falling from my pride today, because-" She, unawares, nearly tripped over a box. He approached her carefully. "-you're the one that I want to heal me!" Terezi put a finger to her lips. "You want to know a secret? It's because you're the one that I..." Just as she was about to finish singing, her foot caught the box and she went sprawling. Karkat darted forward, catching her a split second before she hit the ground, holding her by the back of her shirt with her face angled towards his. Terezi let out a surprised gasp, one arm around his neck and the other limply hanging at his side. Karkat's face flushed, listening to the music behind them as he studied Terezi's face. This time, there was a definite splash of teal.

He knew this movie, he knew the last words of this song and be damned if he wasn't going to take this opportunity to improvise.

As the heroine of the romcom opened her mouth and warbled out the same word in soprano tones, Karkat Vantas opened his mouth and sang softly, "Love..."

The music rejoined, significantly slower now and slowing down more every second. As Terezi's blush increased, Karkat brought his face towards hers, only centimeters between them before Terezi brought her finger to his lips.

"But Mr. Vantas," she sang quietly, voice rasping a little from the cold, "you can't kiss me, I'm sick-" Karkat brushed her finger to the side.

"I don't care," he responded, "you're the one that I-"

He left it up to the heroine to sing his answer again as he leaned forward and kissed Terezi with a tenderness that only a secretly sweet little grump could have.


End file.
